Will anyone argue that they were uneducated? In early fall. But the writer of this epistle had a deeper insight into humanity. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. I bring you good news of great joy" (Luke 2:10). And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. Well, the birth of Christ itself teaches us of God's love; for God loved us so much that He became man in order to die for us. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. He was, however, making a very important point: We should never celebrate Jesus birth at Christmastimeand then forget Him the rest of the year. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. For most people, the answer could be obvious. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in his incarnation. U 8. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God. So they have changed the line to read "Let us find that promised rest.". You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Romans 14:5-6 - One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. In all that he does, he prospers. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. So the question is not "where did God say not to ." It is always the question "where did God say to ." See: Holiday Observances. The shepherds took this message, in the only form they knew, to their contemporaries. Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Gaebelein, Frank. 9. The first of these important appearances was to Mary. One person who has been responsible for watering down the biblical meaning of the word "salvation" is Paul Tillich, the German-born American theologian. In the book of Philippians, Paul speaks of this peace when he says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. So, according to Tillich, who popularized this approach in his three-volume Systematic Theology and in his lectures, salvation can therefore be applied "to every act of healing: to the healing of sickness, or demonic possession, and of servitude to sin and to the ultimate power of death" 6 It means "reuniting that which is estranged, giving a center to what is split, overcoming the split between God and man, man and his world, man and himself. On the other hand, if man cannot save himself spiritually if he is headed for an eternity without God and is unable to reverse his condition then Jesus Christ had to come. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate. At best she might have guessed that the child that was born to her might possibly be the Messiah. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with . We turn from that picture to the final pages of the Bible, and in those pages we find the Lord Jesus Christ high and lifted up, and all of creation is paying homage to Him. This has something to do with the age in which we live as well as with the general aspirations of mankind, I suppose. Wesley wrote it as follows: Apparently, some of the editors of our hymnbooks, including the one used in my own church, have been troubled by Wesley's line "Let us find that second rest," fearing that some people would think (or that Wesley himself thought) that there was a "second blessing" experience to find beyond salvation. C Hardly! This is why carols are so much a rightful part of Christmas; for, when sung by those who understand them, they are a means of praise. Both of these ideas are related to the idea of a mediator who brings irreconcilables together. Let Us Celebrate Jesus Christ's Death Not His Birth 12. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. So, you see, if Christmas means anything, it at least means this that God has not forgotten His people. But at the same time, the one who will come to Jesus Christ will know a great peace even in a world that denies it. Why We Celebrate The Birth Of Jesus | Hearinnh Helpful Not Helpful Praise the Lord! Christians are to be active in many efforts to achieve social justice, improve the life of the poor, minister to the needy. In this verse the word "learn" is a Greek word from which we have derived our word mathematics. J Some even contain good emphases. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants. Once more they cried out, Hallelujah! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Jehoshua, meaning "Jehovah is salvation." To do this is to glorify Him, an act which is, as the Catechism states, one aspect of man's chief end. Just as we celebrate our children's birthdays every year, I believe it's entirely appropriate for us to celebrate the birth of God's own Son, Jesus Christ, every year. Looking at the verse closely, we find that it uses the word "rest" twice. "Good Christian Men, Rejoice" Words: Heinrich Suso (?-1366); translated from Latin to English by John M. Neale in Carols for Christmastide (London: 1853). The appearance of an angel to Joseph in a dream to tell Him to take the Child Jesus and his mother into Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. One verse, which is often quoted by Christians who argue against celebrating Christmas, is Luke chapter 2, verse 34. Shout to God with loud songs of joy! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Although there is no mention of Jesus specifically mentioning to celebrate Christmas, the Bible does say that he was born on December 25th. In the birth we see God's wisdom. He was to save His people. Amen. After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, Hallelujah! Why not join every year with the shepherds on that first Christmas, "glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen" (Luke 2:20)? Moreover, if you will permit me to apply it in this way, it seems to me that apart from the truths which the angels revealed to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds two thousand years ago concerning the birth of Christ apart from really understanding what they said and meant undoubtedly, this Christmas, the real meaning of the birth of Christ will pass us by also. He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? But it does not mean that God has forgotten. Glorify and praise God for what was done that first Christmas. This can be a very trying experience. Answer: Your question is backward. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Did Jesus Say Not To Celebrate His Birth | Hearinnh Long ago, when the Greek language was in its infancy, the word from which the word "glory" came meant "to have an opinion." In Luke 2:8-20, it says: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Jesus was born to be our Savior as the carol says: Christ was born to save! The passage begins by speaking of the shepherds. It is before his own master that he stands or falls. They would readily tell you that the Bible commands us to celebrate Jesus' birth - that it is a time of rejoicing for the coming of the Savior of the world. Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! It is not this way with joy. But this is all there will be - until the angels appear with their message. Why, to their sheep obviously. There will always be wars and rumors of wars. One theory is that the early church decided to celebrate Christmas on December 25th in order to oppose the pagan celebration of Sol Invictus. Grosart. You quarrel and fight. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. There is the peace of God, which is personal. Ralph L. Keiper once said, "When we know Christ, not as a doctrine or a theory, but as Savior and Friend in our daily experience, we gain a confidence in Him which brings peace to our hearts. There is peace with God. Do you sometimes feel that God has forgotten you? (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957), page 166. He leads me beside still waters. It is a time where they remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Before we turn to the book of Luke, I want to say first that by far the best and greatest way to celebrate Christmas is by becoming a Christian if you have never done so. Because of the gospel, Christians understand that the peace of God is only for those who acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. I am glad that the angel appeared to Joseph and not only to Mary. His birthday was celebrated on December 25th. "O Come, All Ye Faithful" Words: John F. Wade, circa 1743. Further light is shed upon these verses by the meaning of the words for peace in the original Greek and Latin. I wonder if you have experienced joy at this season. It was confused because it lacked revelation and, therefore, also an awareness of truth. They had no thought about spiritual things at least we are not told that they did and they certainly didn't expect the miracle. Taken together, therefore, the Greek and Latin definitions imply, first, that peace is not primarily a state of mind or an individual virtue but rather a state existing between two or more persons. How do you celebrate Christmas? 10. Have you seen that truth in the story? It is one of the great words of the Greek language. Are Birthday Celebrations Christian? - Restored Church of God Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living. Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. But how should a Christian celebrate Christmas? Arrangement: William H. Cummings, Congregational Hymn and Tune Book, 1857. Here then is the first lesson Luke teaches us on celebrating Christmas. Q Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Verse 17 suggests that we are to tell others what we have seen and heard; but we can hardly do that effectively until we have first been amazed at Christ's birth, pondered its meaning, and glorified and praised God for it. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. They had seen the angels and had come to worship the angels' King. The Greek word for peace is eirene. Z. When circumstances are right, there is happiness; but when the source of happiness departs, happiness goes with it. All Joseph could have thought was that Mary had been unfaithful. Four Reasons Christmas Is Not a Christian Holiday - Life, Hope & Truth Perhaps you are one who longs for the Lord's return. In these verses the angel first greets Mary, then gives this message: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. (Philadelphia: Evangelical Foundation), 1961, pages 12-13. Well, later in His life He would speak of Himself in terms that spoke to precisely the world's condition. The world treats the message of Christmas as wishful thinking because the world is not right with God and it does not wish to assume its own spiritual responsibility before Him. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. For you see, Joseph was in a difficult position. S It is recorded in Luke 1:26-38. Scripturally speaking, a Christian's celebrating a birthday is a non-issue. 5. We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said to him, Will you take me down to this band? And he said, Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band. And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. And there is peace with one another. Let the wonder of that first Christmas fill your life todayand every day. Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. What is more, in these verses, God promises to give us all victories for peace if we ask Him. What is the source of the fighting and turmoil in the world today and, unfortunately at times, within the churches? And the shepherds would not have come to the manger in the little town of Bethlehem if the angels had not conveyed their message. We also can celebrate Christmas by being amazed at it "And all who heard it were amazed" (Luke 2:18). Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Many people believe that the celebration of Christmas is rooted in the pagan holiday of Saturnalia, which honored the god Saturn. What Does The King James Bible Say About Celebrating Christmas Who was He really? But how? Sing God's praises. And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. It implies a diving beneath the surface. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. So, the best way to celebrate Christmas is to believe on Jesus as your Savior. God told us everything needed for life and godliness ( II Peter 1:2-4 ). Keiper, Ralph L. op. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation.